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Symbiosis (episode)
Two alien races struggle over a major pharmaceutical shipment. The dominant race claims the drug will treat a deadly disease, but instead it has been used to keep the weaker race addicted and powerless. Summary The is investigating unusual solar flares and magnetic activity in the Delos system when they receive a distress signal from the Ornaran freighter Sanction orbiting the fourth moon of the system. The bridge crew is perplexed by the apparent incompetence of the freighter's crew. When they try to rescue the freighter and beam the occupants over, the cargo of the freighter is beamed over instead. Yar and Riker are able to beam four onto the Enterprise in the nick of time. When the crewmembers, two Ornarans and two Brekkians, arrive, they are very anxious to see the cargo. Even though two of those aboard the freighter have been lost, the primary concern of all four is the cargo. The Ornarans claim that they have paid for the cargo, therefore it belongs to them. The Brekkians argue that since the payment was lost on the destroyed freighter, the cargo still belongs to them. They begin to fight, using their natural electric charges, until Yar breaks it up. Later, the Ornarans reveal that the cargo is felicium, medicine that their planet needs. Captain Picard realizes that the "plague" they have may infect the entire ship. He puts the ship on medical alert. As the Ornarans suffer from their lack of medicine, the Brekkians continue to refuse them the cargo. Crusher reveals that she cannot find a cause of the signs of infection. The Ornarans entreat Picard to give them the felicium, and Picard offers to talk to the Brekkians, asking them to give enough for the Ornarans' needs. The Brekkians agree to "two doses for immediate use." It is revealed that Brekkian society is entirely dependent on the trade of felicium with the Ornarans. When they use the free medicine, the Ornarans act as if they are experiencing a drug high. Crusher deduces that the "medicine" is really an addictive drug. Data and Riker research the history of the drug. Though it had cured a plague on Ornara two hundred years before, it is now just being sold as an addictive narcotic. When Wesley Crusher wonders about how people become addicted to drugs, Yar explains the draw of drugs for people in desperate circumstances. She alludes to her possible use of drugs on her home planet. She says that, though drugs may seem to solve problems, they do not in reality make anything better. The Enterprise receives a signal from Ornara. Margan demands that the Ornarans on the Enterprise must get the felicium to Ornara. One Ornaran then attacks Riker and demands that the Enterprise send the felicium to the planet. The Brekkians then decide to "give" the drug to the Onarans, rather than risk the Onarans losing their addiction. Picard realizes that they have been purposely exploiting the Ornarans. Picard cannot tell the Ornarans without violating the Prime Directive. To correct the situation, Picard refuses to repair the Ornarans' freighters. Without a method of transport, the Ornarans will begin to withdraw from the drug. Memorable Quotes "We are losing our professional detachment, Doctor." : - Captain Picard to Doctor Crusher "... Beverly, the Prime Directive is not just a set of rules; it is a philosophy... and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous." "It's hard to be philosophical when faced with suffering." "Believe me Beverly, there was only one decision." "I just hope it was the right one." "And we may never know." : - Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher "Captain, my console seems to be overloading." : - Wesley Crusher "Data, I can understand how this would happen to the Ornarans. What I can't understand is why anyone would voluntarily become dependent on a chemical substance." "Drug addiction is a recurring theme in many cultures. However - neither being human nor having had any comparable experience, firsthand or otherwise - I am afraid I cannot give precisely the answer you seem to hope for." "That's all right, Data." "I believe I can, Wesley. First of all, nobody ever wants to become dependent; that happens later." "Still, if people know it happens, why do they start?" "Remember what I told you about life on my home planet? There was so much poverty and violence that, for some, the only escape was through drugs." "Escape? How does a chemical substance provide THAT?" "It can't really. But it makes you think it is. It's difficult to explain, but drugs can make you feel...good. They put you on top of the world; you're happy, you feel in control of everything and everybody." "But what's the point, if you know it's artificial?" "Because it doesn't feel artificial until the drug wears off. Then you feel sad, hopeless, in pain...just the opposite of what you did before." "''Still...Doesn't THAT wear off, too?" "Ultimately, yes - But some people can't wait for 'ultimately'. Instead, they take more of the same drug to feel better, like they did before. Not because they're crazy or stupid, but because they don't have the will to ride it out like they should. The danger with that is, as you keep using the drug, your body adapts to it." "Meaning you'd need higher and more frequent doses to get the same result, wouldn't you?" "That's precisely it...On the other hand, those larger doses also leave you feeling worse - and for longer - after they wear off. That's how you get trapped. Before you know it, you're taking the drug...not to feel better, but to keep from feeling worse. At that point, all you care about is getting your next dose. Nothing and nobody else matters." "I see how it works, Tasha, but I'm afraid I still don't understand it. Sorry." "Wesley, don't be. In fact, let's hope for your sake you never do." : - Tasha Yar explaining drug dependency for Wesley Crusher "Destination, sir?" "I don't care. Let's just get some distance between us and this system." "Course 970, Mark 318, Speed: Warp Three." "Where will that take us, Mr. La Forge?" "The Opperline system." "An interesting choice. Why?" "Curiosity. We've never been there." : - La Forge, Picard, and Riker "Captain, we are beaming over a replacement coil." "Great... and that'll fix us up?" "Yes, once it's installed." (pause) "And how do we do that?" : - Picard and T'Jon "What is the matter with these people?" : - Picard "Captain, how long have you been in command of this freighter?" "Seven years, with 26 trips to Brekka." "And you don't know how to align a controller coil?" "It's never come up." : - Picard to T'Jon Background Information *This marks Denise Crosby's last appearance as a full cast member. Although Natasha Yar appears (and dies) in the following episode, , this episode was filmed following that. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, p. 56) *In the scene with Crusher and Picard leaving the cargo bay at the end of the episode, Denise Crosby can be seen waving goodbye in the extreme background. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, p. 56) *Merritt Butrick and Judson Scott, who had appeared in (as David Marcus and Joachim respectively), are in this episode as well. However, this is Butrick's final Star Trek role before his death from AIDS in 1989. Judson Scott later appeared in as the Romulan Commander Rekar. *Behind-the-scenes footage (and bloopers) for this episode appeared on a 1988 episode of the LeVar Burton-hosted . *This is the first time that we see a system interlock used with an alien transporter system showing that it is possible to interlock two different types of transporter beams. The only previous time that we see a Federation transporter working in conjunction with an alien beam is when the Enterprise intercepted an alien transporter beam and redirected it to their transporter pad in . *At the very beginning of the episode, when Picard makes a shipwide announcement, it is preceded by an old-style TOS hailing whistle. This does not usually occur in TNG. *This is one of only five TNG episodes (and the only season one episode) that doesn't have a stardate. The others are . Video and DVD releases *Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 11, catalogue number VHR 2440, . *UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.7, catalogue number VHR 4648, . *As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection. Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard * Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker Also starring * LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge * Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar * Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf * Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data * Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest stars * Judson Scott as Sobi * Merritt Butrick as T'Jon * Richard Lineback as Romas Co-star * Kimberly Farr as Langor Uncredited co-stars * James G. Becker as Youngblood * Darrell Burris as an operations division officer * Susan Duchow as an operations division officer * David Eum as Wright * Tim McCormack as Bennett * Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings * Kenneth Tigar as Margan * Unknown performers as ** Female computer voice ** Female engineer (voice) ** Female operations division officer ** Male operations division officer ** Operations division officer ** Transporter ensign Stand-ins * James G. Becker - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes * Darrell Burris - stand-in for LeVar Burton * Dexter Clay - stand-in for Michael Dorn * Jeffrey Deacon - stand-in for Patrick Stewart * Susan Duchow - stand-in for Denise Crosby * Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis * Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner * Lorine Mendell - stand-in for Gates McFadden * Guy Vardaman - stand-in for Wil Wheaton References 2164; 2357; biofilter; Brekka; Brekkians; Cargo Bay 11; Delos; electromagnetic coil; Federation scout; felicium; med alert; narcotic; Opperline system; Ornara; Ornarans; plague; Prime Directive; ship's stores; solar flare activity; system interlock; three-dimensional chess; Turkana IV; x-ray bursts |next= }} cs:Symbiosis de:Die Seuche es:Symbiosis fr:Symbiosis it:Simbiosi (episodio) ja:TNG:禁断の秘薬 nl:Symbiosis Category:TNG episodes